End closure means for billfolds



Jan. 311, 1950 w. A. FENCE END CLOSURE MEANS FOR BILL-FOLDS Filed Nov. 29, 1944 INVENTOR [M44 14M fi. PEA CE BY AM, MM

ATTOENEY5 Patented Jan. 31, 1950 END CLOSURE MEANS or: BI LFoLns William A. Pence, Adell, Wis., assignor toEnger- 'Kress Company, West Bend, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application November 29, 1944 Serial No. 565,632

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bill folds.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a novel stitchless bill fold construction in which the ends are made secure by two separate flaps lapping each other about the respective ends of the bill fold in opposite directions to produce a two-ply end.

More specifically stated, it is an object of the invention to produce a novel bill fold in which one of the lapping flaps at the end of the bill fold overlies end portions of the outer wall or cover and is interlocked therewith.

It is a further object of the invention to adapt those portions of the end flaps which interlock with the cover to constitute levers tending to make the bill fold theftproof.

Still other objects andnovel features willbe apparent from the following disclosure of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the inner face of a bill fold embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail view in elevation of the outer or cover face of a billfold embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view taken in longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the pattern or blank used in producing a bill fold embodying this invention, the slide being partially illustrated in perspective as its appears when partially connected to the rest of the blank.

Fig. 5 is a view in end elevation of a modified embodiment of my improved billfold as it appears in a pocket, the pocket being shown in section.

Like parts are designated with the same reference characters throughout the several views.

M bill fold is of a generally conventional type, having an outside or cover panel and an inner wall made up in sectionsloosely connected by a slide. It will, of course, be understood that the present invention, while preferably employed at both ends of the bill fold, may, if desired, be applied only to one end, the other being finished in some other manner.

The outer wall or cover is shownat 6 and has at l a flap for finishing its upper ,margin in the usual way. It differs from conventional. practice in that it is provided with means to re.- ceive interlocking connection with end wall flaps. The particular means herein disclosed comprises integral straps at B and 9, each formed by parallel vertical slits at l 0.

The flaps I5, I 6, are connected conventionally to the lower margin of the outer or cover wall 6 and are foldable upwardly upon the cover wall to comprise portions of the inner wall sections; Flaps I5, l5, have extensions ll, l8, respectively, which are folded inwardly upon flaps l5, l6, and between flaps l5, I6, and the cover wall ii to provide an envelope in which the slide 19 has limited movement longitudinally of the bill fold. Parallel slits in the respective flap extensions l1, 18, provide straps at 20, 2|, with which headed tongues 22, 23, cut integrally from slide 19, are connectedin the assembly of the bill fold.

The margins 24, 25 of the inner wall section flaps l5, I6 may be finished in any contour to" give a desired ornamental effect. Pocket forming slits 26, 21, have a general direction at right angles to the lower margin of the outer or cover wall panel 6, their particular shape being such as to give a desired design eifect. As shown, this design is correlated with the inner marginal design at 24, 25. l

The ends ofthe bill fold are made, as above suggested, by flaps 28, 29 projecting from the ends of the cover wall or panel B and overlapping flaps 30,4 projecting from the ends of the inner Wall section flaps l5, It. The outer ends of flaps 28 and 29, for which. nointerlock is necessarily required, are finished to conform to the chosen design. They are exposed where they project through the pocket-forming slits 26, 21, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The preciseshape of the ends of flaps 30, 31,

is also a matter of design but theseends are preferably in the form of anchoring heads 32, 33, of greater width than the intermediate neck portions 34, 35, of the fiaps'3ll, 3!. The neck portions 34 and 35 are of such dimensions as to fit beneath the straps 8 and B at the outside of the cover panel 6 when the heads '32; 33 have been manipulated beneath straps 8 and 9 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

In assembling the bill fold, the slide 19 lsflrst connected to the flap extensions l1 and 18, the length of its tongues 22, 23- permitting the requisite amount of longitudinal sliding-movement. The slide and the extension flaps H, l8.are then folded together onto the inner wall section flaps 15,. It, to dispose the slidein the envelopes or pockets between the sections J5, l6 and theextensions l1, l8, respectively. The parts thus'far assembled are then bodily folded onto the cover or outer wall panel 6 and the end flaps 28, 29 of the cover are manipulated around the ends oflthe slide and between lthe slide and the end portions of the inner wall sections [5, It to project through the slits 2B and 21, whereby the flaps 28 and 29 serve as partitions forming two pockets instead of one, accessible through the respective slits 26, 21.

Thereupon, the locking flaps 30, 3! are lapped outside of flaps 28 and 29 and in opposite directions about the ends of the bill fold, their head portions 32, 33 being manipulated beneath the respective straps 8, 9, to securely lock the bill fold ends and complete the assembly.

If desired, the head portions 32, 33, of the locking flaps 30, 3|, may be cemented to the cover or outer wall panel B, as indicated at 31 in Fig. 3. Or, instead of being cemented down, they may be left free to pivot about the straps 8, 9, and reinforced as indicated at 33' and 32, in Fig. so that when the bill fold is folded transversely and placed in a pocket in the conventional manner, the free edges 38, 39, of the hinged head portions of these flaps may be made to engage the wall of the pocket to resist any attempt at unauthorized removal of the bill fold by pivotin outwardly to engage the sides of the pocket in the manner shown in Fig. 5. Such an arrangement will at least give the owner of the bill fold warning of the attempt to pick his pocket, since the deformation of his clothing must almost necessarily be perceptible. tion, there will be afforded a definite resistance to the withdrawal movement which may prevent the removal of the bill fold-unless the operator reaches far enough into the pocket to hold the reinforcing flaps 32', 33' to the face of the bill fold and to prevent their interacting with the clothing as indicated.

I claim: i

1. In a bill fold having a cover defining a wall of a main billfold pocket and separate bottom marginal flaps individually connected with the cover and respectively folded upon the cover to comprise mutually spaced inner wall sections, the combination therewith of a flap connected to the end of an inner wall section and extending exteriorly about the end of the cover as a closure for the end of the billfold and provided with mechanical interlocking means connecting it with the outer face of the cover, said inner wall sections being provided with a plurality of pockets.

2. In a bill fold, the combination of a cover having an externally exposed strap, an inner wall section in bottom edge marginal connection with the cover, a flap projecting laterally from the inner wall section and passing at the end of the bill fold about the end of the cover, said flap being provided with a neck portion extending beneath said strap, and a head portion of greater Width interlocked with said strap on the external face of the cover, said head portion being free to pivot away from the external face of the cover beyond said strap and sufficiently long and rigid to constitute a pocket-engaging lever to resist unauthorized withdrawal of the bill fold from a pocket.

3. In a bill fold, the combination with a cover having end and bottom margins and an inner wall section connected with the cover at its bot- In additom margin and provided with'a slit having a general direction parallel to its end margin, of a flap connected to the end of the cover and extending within said inner wall section to the slit and projecting through the slit to constitute a partition, said slitaifording access to pockets at either side of said projecting flap, and separate 4 means for closing one of said pockets at the end of the bill fold, said flap closing the other pocket.

4. In a bill fold, the combination of a cover, an inner wall section in bottom marginal connection with the cover, an extension from the free longitudinal edgeof the inner wall section folded inwardly between the section and the cover to constitute an envelope, a slide extending into the envelope between the extension and the inner wall section, and a flap connected with the end of the cover and extending about the end of the slide, said inner wall section having a slit through which a portion of said flap extends, said slit aifording access at each side of said flap to pocket space between said slide and inner wall section, together with means closing the end of the bill fold between said inner wall section and cover, andjmeans at the other end of the cover comprising another inner wall section and a closure for such last mentioned end about said slide.

5. In a bill fold, the combination of a cover having end and bottom margins, spaced inner wall sections connected with the bottom margins of the cover adjacent the respective ends thereof and provided with free margins having flap extensions, said inner wall sections being folded upon the inner face of th cover, and said extensions being folded inwardly between said sections and the cover, a slide having end portions disposed between said extensions and the respective inner wall sections and spannin the space between said sections, the respective sections being provided with slits having a general direction normal to the lower margins of the cover with which such extensions are connected, flaps connected with the end margins of the cover and folded inwardly about the ends of the slide and extending through the slits of the respective inner wall sections, the cover being provided on its external face with externally exposed strap means, fiaps connected with the ends of the inner wall sections and lapping about the flaps last mentioned and across portions of the outer face of the cover, said lapping flapshaving headed means mechanically interlocked with the straps on the external face of the cover;

6. In a bill fold, the combination of a cover, having bottom and end margins, an inner wall section integrally connected with the bottom margin of the cover and folded over the cover, an extension from the free longitudinal edge of the inner wall section folded inwardly between such section and the cover to constitute an envelope, a slide extending into the envelope between the extension and inner wall section, a flap connected with the outer end margin of said section and extending'about the end of the slide and the end margin of the cover, said flap and cover having exposed means interconnecting them to position the flap externally upon the cover, and means at the other end of the bill fold for positioning the slide and comprising another inner wall section and a closure for such other bill fold end.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which the exposed means for positioning the end of the flap externally upon the cover comprises a strap beneath which a portion of such flap extends, said flap having an enlarged free end portion anchored by said strap.

' WILLIAM A. FENCE.

(References on following page) 6 REFERENCES CITED Name Date The following referenoes are of record in the fig me of this patent: A Sherwood Sept. 4, 1945 Number Name Date 'Number Country Date 3 3 Edgar May i332 20,476 Great Britain Dec. 7, 1395 578,29 snow 0 24,253 Great Britain Oct. 23, 1912 3 Kuhn 3 g 8 10 64,019 Switzerland May 151, 1913 15 sep 1 1 13 93,707 Switzerland July 1, 1922 1,778,448 Buxton Oct. 14. 1930 

